Kos - the best of both worlds

Natalie Likness: December 2011

Nestled in the South Aegean Sea is Kos, a small island that offers both peace and tranquillity with a party atmosphere at night. If you're looking at there can be no finer choice than Kos to escape the cold winter days. There is a pleasant temperature throughout the year, and whilst the temperature does cool through the winter months, any rainfall is interspersed with lots of sun so you'll still benefit from the glorious Greek weather. Kos is easily accessible by air with direct flights from the UK available, as well as connections from Athens if you want to explore Greek's iconic capital city first.

Being a Greek island and lying just 2.5 miles from Turkey, Kos has a wealth of gloriously sandy beaches and you have the pick of places to stay. Tingaki, which is not far from Kos Town in the north of the island, is a highly recommended place to stay with its abundance of beach and shallow sea which makes it a haven for families as well as individuals. You can also stay in small hotels as well as self catered apartments. At night, the bars and tavernas near to Tingaki come to life and the atmosphere becomes electric.

Wherever you do decide to stay, Kos has a wealth of places to visit. As with many of the Greek islands, you must visit the Ancient ruins of Kos which are scattered across the island. Those closer to Kos Town are very impressive indeed so make sure you take in the Gymnasium of Xystos, the ruins of the Odeon and Casa Romana which are all located fairly close to one another. In Kos Town you'll also find their picturesque harbour and their market, which was the biggest in the Ancient world. The island is also the known as the birthplace of modern medicine as Hippocrates was born here. You can visit the ruins of Asklepieion where Herodicus taught Hippocrates medicine and also the Plane Tree of Hippocrates which is where he himself taught.

If you wish to simply take in everything that Kos' culture offers, look into cycle hire and take to the roads to explore. The flat tree lined roads are perfect for cycling and there are many hills to climb which provide stunning views of the island. Amongst the hills, you'll find many small villages filled with iconic whitewashed buildings where the friendly locals will welcome you with open arms. Be sure to try some of the local produce to sample some of the finest grapes, figs, olives and tomatoes you'll ever eat!

Once you've climbed the hills and drunk in the scenery, it's time to take the easier route back down and head for the beaches. All white sand and sparkling blue waters, but each with something unique to offer. For the ultimate relaxation, head to Thermes which has coves to explore and hot springs to immerse yourself in, whilst the beaches on the northern side of the island also offer windsurfing and other watersports.

Natalie Likness' love of travel was introduced to her from an early age due to a trip abroad to Greece before she was even born! Having close family and making friends across the world, she has continued to travel ever since.